The first thing to be considered in the planting of a commercial orchard is the land, all land is not adapted to the raising of pears and apples, river bottom and black jumbo is not good. There must be good water and air drainage to succeed. Then the variety, select the one that will make the best returns, and not the one that suits our own particular taste or pred udice. We know a Bartlett is more to be desired than a Kieffer, but it does not produce or make returns that the Kieffer does. We have done but little pruning, only to cut out blight and broken or crossed limbs, all suckers or sprouts that start from body or limbs were pulled off during the growing season. This is all the pruning necessary. Keep the top open, do not allow it to lock up with cross limbs or suckers. The apple orchard has 4,000 Ben Davis, 2,000 Black Ben Davis, 2,000 Jonathan, 1,000 Grimes Golden, 500 Delicious, a few Yellow Transparent, Maiden Blush, Fameuse, Rambo, York Imperial, Wealthy, Early Harvest, Winter Rambo, Mammoth Black Twig.

This orchard had twenty acres set in the spring of 1903 but was neglected two years, took about two years to bring it back, but now it is in good condition, bearing well, has 250 Jonathans, 750 Ben Davis. The condition of this orchard is good, it passed through the same weather condition described above, but was not injured as badly as the pear. The year 1912 produced about 700 bushels of apples, 1913 about 2,000 bushels.

The care of apple trees has been as follows: cultivated first two years, corn being planted between the rows, trees cultivated with plow and hoe, all broken or crossed limbs removed, all suckers on body and limbs taken off by hand during growing season, last of September and first of October borers taken out and trees wrapped with paper to ward off rabbits. Clover was sown and first year cut two or three times with mower, all weeds and grass left on ground; second year hay made from clover and a crop of seed was saved.

After the block of clover had been on the ground for three years it was plowed up and the ground cultivated until middle of June, then planted to beans and buckwheat for shade during the heated period, and would advise the breaking up of the ground and cultivation at least every three or four years.

This was one of the driest and hottest summers for many years. The farm orchards suffered from the heat and drouth and insect pests with the result that by picking time the major part of the fruit was on the ground and worthless. Our best fruit was on the part where cultivated. This was our first year to spray and I think this is one thing most necessary. The first spray was fungicide, 4-4 lime and blue vitriol, applied when the buds were swelling. We had a great deal of scab and rust last year and trees almost defoliated in September and apples very scabby. This year after spraying we did not find a single specimen with scab. The second spray was applied just after the bloom dropped, we used arsenate of soda and sugar of lead, using ten ounces of the soda and twenty-two ounces of lead, each dissolved separately then poured together to fifty gallons of water. We did not burn a single leaf with solution, but did get all the codling moths and we had a very good crop of canker

worms started, they also were a complete loss; after spraying I could not find one. We had the best developed foliage and the best growth in all the nine years, and the trees are in splendid condition for next year.

This was Jonathan year with us and we think next year, with a good spring for blooming, will be Ben Davis. When this orchard was planted we started out with an idea as to methods to be used and thus far have carried out the plans formulated before setting, and think that we have demonstrated that southeast Iowa can, with less effort be made to produce as well or better results than anything in the west. This orchard, if nothing unforseen happens, will emphasize from year to year the importance of good care and will reimburse in time for all effort made.

I think we are learning something every year. I was successful enough with the spraying this year and know that if I had not sprayed it would be useless to go any farther with a commercial orchard. I broke the pump with about five acres to spray and did not get enough sound apples from this part to pay for picking, and conditions would have been the same all over the orchard as we had plenty of codling moths the year before and nothing done to check them, thousands of apples on the ground with worms in them that developed a good crop of moth and on all sides the farm orchards were almost a complete failure.

I offered a prize for an apple that had a worm that entered at the blossom end. There was not one found in picking and sorting 2,000 bushels and those from the side were very scarce. I believe in spraying and cultivation. Care of trees, careful pruning of each tree according to its needs, never cutting a very large limb if it can be avoided and it can if pruning the tree is followed from the time of setting.

In conclusion I wish to say, we are here to profit by each other's successes and if someone has a better way to reach results than I have let us all know about it and let us work together to advance the horticul tural interests of Iowa; I think we raise the best fruit in Iowa in the world and at the same time it has been done in a rather crude manner. What might be accomplished with a little boosting and concerted effort! We have the soil, the climate, energy and in fact almost everything essential, so now let us go ahead with new vigor and have land and orchards worth more than any place on earth.

The President: This very practical paper is now before you for discussion.

Mr. Marshall: I would like to hear a little more from the growers in this section about pears. We have grown pears in a general way in Nebraska and we have never been very successful. If we can get more information on the subject, we might be more successful. Over there, what success we have had has been almost altogether on the poorer lands.

I believe the gentleman who just read the paper spoke of growing pears on the bottoms. He said they would grow as well there, but would be more subject to injury from frost. We find, over in our state, pears blight so. It is impossible to grow them on richer lands. Where we have succeeded with them, has been most always on the clay high lands.

Mr. Wiley: I will say that the pears I referred to are on very thin land. It has been cash rented for about 14 or 15 years and had become nearly worthless. Very rich land will force the growth, and a very strong growth, but it is conducive to blight. I sowed this in timothy and clover. You want to check the growth after the first two years. If you hold the growth in check, you will not be troubled so much with blight. The Nebraska soil is pretty open and I do not think it is very good for the growing of pears. I have spent ten years in that state, and with all kinds of experience; have never been very successful with pears. Your soil has a very peculiar formation.

Mr. Hinds: What price did you get for your pears?

Mr. Wiley: 75 cents a bushel.

Mr. Hinds: Why not raise apples and get a dollar? I am over here in Wapello county. There are several people in the vicinity of Ottumwa who have the horticultural idea in their head. I have discouraged the pear proposition, although I am enthusiastic to plant more apple trees. I have heard Mr. Matthews' name used in Knoxville. A great many men get pleasure out of it. I hang pretty close to mother earth. While Mr. Wiley is getting 75 cents for a bushel of pears, I get $1.50 for the Grimes Golden and Jonathan. One of the Professors of the Illinois State College has shown that the relationship between pear blight and apple blight was very close. Why contaminate our apple orchards?

Mr. Spencer: I will take warning from the remarks just made. It has been my privilege to travel over the two southern tiers of counties during the past summer. I noticed, after coming down in the eastern part of the state, the pear trees were loaded with pears. I think in Van Buren county, on the thin soils the pear is a success. Mr. Hinds sounded the key-note,-why raise two or three thousand bushels of pears, except for canning purposes? Apples are what we want. There is always a market for good apples in an unlimited quantity.

Mr. Patten: I just wish to remark that in all the cities of this country, large or small, the Kieffer is shipped just as abundantly

almost as any apple. They are seen everywhere, and certainly they must be profitable somewhere or they wouldn't be grown and shipped as apples are shipped.

Mr. Van Houten: We have with us Prof. J. B. Cooper, of Nebraska. I move you that he be made an honorary member of this Society.

The motion was duly seconded and carried.

Prof. Cooper: Gentlemen, Members of the Society, I wish to thank all of you for the honor bestowed upon me. I came here to be present at your meeting and absorb a little knowledge, not with the intention of having any honor bestowed. Again, I thank you. The President: The next paper is entitled, "Apples from the Tree to the Barrel," by F. P. Spencer, of Randolph.

APPLES FROM THE TREE TO THE BARREL.

BY F. P. SPENCER, RANDOLPH.

Attempting to write on this subject I am impressed at the outset with the different angles from which it might be approached. What I have to say will be from the standpoint of a commercial orchard of considerable extent. In fact I may say it will be largely, if not almost entirely, a leaf from my own observation and experience. Given a large crop of apples to market, the first step is the picking of same and after a good deal of study and some experience, am convinced the only economical way to do this is to pay by the bushel or box, under the supervision of a superintendent whose duties will be to see that the apples are carefully handled, boxes well filled, proper care used in reference to injury of the trees, keeping accurate tab on amount each picker picks, in fact a general supervision of affairs in the orchard, which will include loading of the wagon and distributing of the boxes. To do this work it will be necessary to have plenty of pails, baskets, bags or some vessel to hold the apples before emptying them in the boxes. Ladders of some light strong material of sufficient length to reach the tops of the trees. My preparation for hauling consists of four low wheeled, broad tired wagons equipped with springs of 3,000 pounds capacity, with boxes on same fourteen feet long, arranged with a deck, thereby enabling me to haul forty-two boxes of one bushel capacity at each load. Permit me here to say that I am not in favor of packing apples in the orchard, either from the standpoint of economy or safety from injury to the apple, for when the apple is once put in the box from the picker's hands it can be delivered to the packing table at shipping point in just as good condition as on a table in

the orchard, and the advantages are so many and so manifest that it is hardly worth while to enumerate them, but will point out a few.

A central packing point brings the entire product of the tree to one place and the proper selection of the different grades can be made and the barrels can be kept in the dry, which cannot be done in field packing. Anyone who has tried to use an apple barrel that has been water soaked and then dried will fully appreciate the advantages suggested. The number of boxes needed will of course depend upon the size of the crop. The cost of the boxes is about seventeen cents complete. Am not advertising any box factories, but having occasion to buy material for 500 boxes the past summer, was so well pleased in quality of material and a general square deal that I will gladly give anyone desiring information the address of the manufacturers if they will apply to me. Will say further that I find 1,000 boxes are not too many to handle my crop on forty acres. What with plenty of empties in the orchard, those used in transit, both empty and full, a supply on the floor of the packing house to tide over possible, and I may say probable, gaps in arrival of teams, and used to temporarily hold the culls, I find occasionally that I could use a few more.

A word about packing. My house for this purpose is 22 by 80 feet, with plenty of windows on one side and a canvas top table alongside with room enough for ten or twelve men to work. These tables are fastened to the wall of building and consist of a frame to hold the canvas in suspension, and not a flat top table, as one might suppose from a careless reading. This table has spaces at such distances apart as may be necessary to hold selections for proper facing of the barrels. Experience has proven to me that an experienced hand to skillfully and artistically face a barrel is a good idea. Not necessarily because of any wilful attempt to deceive the purchaser, but simply to follow a well established truism "that the purchaser's pocket is more powerfully appealed to through the medium of the eye than the stomach," and when you can pull both strings on him, you have him. This idea is clearly recognized by the Italian fruit vender on the city sidewalk when he, with a deftness acquired by long practice, spits upon the apple, then vigorously polishes same on the sleeve of his immaculate coat. But I digress.

We now have the apple in the barrel and when the proper artist arranges the contents the excess will be just enough when properly pressed in to hold the fruit in one body, so to speak, thereby preventing the bruising of the contents by the more or less rough handling incident to shipping and storing of same. What has been said in the foregoing article is intended solely to benefit those engaged in apple growing on a large scale, as it would manifestly be too expensive for the small grower to employ a superintendent to care for the picking, and in fact there is only one way to make a success of apple growing, that is, to go into it on a scale extensive enough to make it necessary, in order to succeed, to give it your time, thought and personal attention.

Down in my part of the state I believe the time is fast approaching when the family orchard will be a thing of the past. Have heard numerous farmers when buying their supplies of winter apples from me say they could buy what apples they needed a good deal cheaper than they